As usual, your reporter, Nick Green, who is absolutely terrible, misstated the facts of the recent lawsuit I filed against Rancho Palos Verdes. First of all, I did not lose my lawsuit against the school board, but rather won it through a very favorable settlement. The board behaved very nastily and not in the best interest of the students. If Green checked the facts, he would have seen that.

Second, the flag and/or flag pole are not oversized, but perfectly and professionally sized for the site. Additionally, local residents love our great American flag display and express so on a daily basis. (No wonder the City Council is so unpopular.)

Lastly, he did not mention that my lawyers, in winning their last case against Rancho Palos Verdes, have also collected huge amounts of monetary damages due to the poor handling of the case by the mayor and council. Why was the monetary loss not mentioned? Residents of Rancho Palos Verdes should be up in arms over this squandering of money.

– DONALD TRUMP

New York, N.Y.

Editor’s note: The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District prevailed in the 2004 lawsuit settlement with Trump, receiving a $50,000 annual rent increase from him over the disputed property. The district also won a $2 million increase in the amount of the option price of the disputed land that Trump originally had offered to buy for $2 million.

Additionally, although Trump states that “his lawyers” had “collected huge amounts of monetary damages” from the city, he is referring to a lawsuit he was not a party to. In that case, the city’s Joint Powers Insurance Authority paid a group of property owners $4 million in compensation for not allowing them to build on property the city believed was unstable. The settlement cost the city a $30,000 deductible. Trump subsequently hired those lawyers to file the lawsuit that was the subject of the Dec. 19 Daily Breeze story.

Brown reverses opinion

After the Nov. 4 election, with the passage of Proposition 8, California Attorney General Jerry Brown said he would protect the “people’s” decision. But surprise, surprise, surprise, he is thinking about running for the office of governor again, and he wants the homosexual support and vote. So now he said that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional and has told the California Supreme Court to strike it down.

But each time the marriage proposition of “one man and one woman” has come up on the ballot, it passes with a smaller percentage of votes. With the younger people voting “No,” the next time it would fail. So all of us mean-spirited people should go into the closet and keep quiet.

– JUDY GOW

Carson

Writer lacks compassion

I read Matthew Feely’s letter in Tuesday’s Daily Breeze (“Shocked by HB homeless”). From a practical point of view, Mr. Feely, the best thing you can do for yourself and Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles and California is to go back to Philadelphia as soon as possible and take your “Screw you, I’m right” attitude with you.

How dare you presume to condemn these people, without thought or consideration for the circumstances that made them homeless. Did you bother to ask them? Did you make any sort of inquiries? Did you consider that there are probably Vietnam and Desert Storm veterans among them, people terribly affected by their own personal experiences?

Once again, Mr. Feely, if you don’t like what you see in Hermosa Beach, do us all a favor and leave.

– BOB EVANS

Torrance

I had to read Matthew Feely’s comment on Hermosa’s homeless twice. I just could not believe that somebody could be that uncaring.Maybe it would do Feely some good to try to help people who are less fortunate.

Or better yet, why doesn’t Feely just move back to Philly?

– TERI MASCOLA

Palos Verdes Peninsula

`Rich’ has been redefined

Your first letter in Tuesday’s Daily Breeze (“Rich can pay higher taxes”) tells me that Karl Marx is alive and well and living in Torrance.

The writer, like much of the incoming administration, believes that the rich should be paying more of the federal tax load. “Rich” has now been redefined as someone earning more than $250,000. The writer claims that 85 percent of the wage earners, however, make under $100,000 and pay 43 percent of all taxes.

Of course he adds Social Security taxes to the income tax to reach that conclusion. However, Social Security is an entitlement program, and only those who pay into it can supposedly have benefits. The socialist thinks that the citizens are there to support the government. The libertarian believes that the government is there only to protect the citizens and to provide a forum to settle disputes between citizens. That’s all! Go read the Constitution.

In the past this country has seen tremendous spurts in economic activity and growth whenever taxes were reduced. That’s the road that the new administration should be taking.

– BARRY J. HILDEBRAND

Rancho Palos Verdes

Correction

On Wednesday, a letter to the editor of mine dealing with the intention of the Port of Los Angeles to conduct a survey of live-aboard boats appeared in the Daily Breeze. After speaking with the contractor chosen to carry out this inspection, it appears that the specifics of this program were not effectively conveyed to boaters like myself, and therefore some of my comments were not accurate.

Based on the information I now have, no boaters who have already received official live-aboard status from their marina will be evicted as long as the equipment specified by the port is on board at the time of its survey.

Also, you are required to cooperate with the port before bringing up any questions about the port’s authority to carry out the survey. I apologize for any misinformation my letter added to this emotional issue.